


We Were in Screaming Color

by happilyeveramber



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-02 23:08:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2829356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happilyeveramber/pseuds/happilyeveramber
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cora hates Lydia Martin.<br/>No, really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Were in Screaming Color

**Author's Note:**

  * For [punkhale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkhale/gifts).



Cora hates Lydia Martin.

She’s a problem. Sure, she’s smarter than ninety percent of the people Cora has met in her entire life. And she’s obviously beautiful. Anyone can see that. She is beautiful in that intimidating, flawless way. Cora can’t picture her with a hair out of place, and she probably worked hard to make sure of it.

But she is also pretentious, bitchy, and eternally unimpressed by everything and everyone. In simple language; she’s everything Cora despises in a person. So it just makes sense that they both immediately hate each other on sight.

Of course, Cora has to see her every single day, though. Because that’s her life.

It’s pretty ironic too, considering Cora had been the one to hire her. But what was she supposed to do? Ever since Derek had decided to take a knitting class like the huge loser he is, they had been short a barista from six to eight on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

So, when the redhead who was almost always there with her laptop and skinny vanilla latte came up and demanded a job, Cora really had no choice. And that's what she continues to tell herself every time Lydia makes a customer cry or shares her unwanted opinions on Cora’s lifestyle.

“You know, you’re not supposed to get a tattoo- especially one so conspicuous- until you have a stable life,” Lydia sniffs disdainfully, eyeing Cora’s back. “How do you expect to get a real job with a giant wolf on your back?”

Ah, yes. Lydia’s favorite thing to complain about. Cora’s ‘dirty grunge’ lifestyle and the very _inconspicuous_ tattoo on her back.

“See the thing is, I already have a real job. Where I’m my own boss. And I think I approve of my own tattoo.” Cora grits her teeth, tapping her foot as Lydia quickly and skillfully makes a mocha frappuccino.

Lydia snorts, managing to make it sound elegant. “ _This_ is not a real job.”

“It is for me.” Cora snatches up the finished drink and walking it to its owner with a glare. Maybe too intense of one, going by the teenaged recipient’s frightened expression

When she returns, Lydia’s shiny pink lips are open. “You’re shitting me, right?” Cora purposefully looks away. “You cannot be serious,” Lydia continues, never knowing when to stop. “You’re gonna waste your entire life making coffee?”

Cora flashes her a forced smirk. “I don’t make it, princess, that’s your job.”

Lydia rolls her eyes. “Semantics. The point is, this place is a shithole. And while your personality matches it at times, you’re not totally useless.”

Cora’s first instinct is to roll her eyes back and say _wow, thanks_ , before what Lydia said sinks in and her tone goes frosty. “You know, you work in this shithole, so maybe watch it. This place is all that some people have.”

Lydia’s eyes widen for a moment before narrowing as she tightens her lips. “Well… That’s really sad for those people. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t have more if they would work for it.” She turns away and Cora suddenly feels dismissed. Which is ridiculous. Lydia was the one being the asshole. Cora owns this place. She refuses to be dismissed in her own workplace.

“Not everyone has a chance to work for it. We can’t all be as privileged as you, princess.” Cora hears her own voice raise and feels glad her brother isn’t here. Derek hates it when she and Lydia fight, especially in front of the customers.

Lydia obviously feels the same way, as she looks around before snapping back in a hushed tone, “stop calling me that, you asshole. You’re just as ‘privileged’ as I am. We go to the same school, we work in the same place, we see the same things every day. I don’t know why you insist on thinking we’re so different.”

Cora whips her head back, eyes going wide. “ _I_ think we’re different? All you ever talk about is how I’m just some bothersome punk kid with my ‘awful tattoos and tacky skateboard’ and how you’re so much better than me, even though I’m the one who gave you this job.”

“I’m the one who asked for this job! Because I saw you and your hopeless brother struggling every day and I knew what that was like. Before I started working for what I wanted, I was just like you guys. So, fuck you.” Lydia, keeping complete eye contact with Cora, whips off her apron and throws it at the next customer in line, stomping her way out, her heels clicking with every step.

Cora stares after her. Like always.

***

“And then she just stamps out! You know who had to make those stupid goddamn coffee milkshakes after she left? Me! _And_ I had to deliver them. How fucking ridiculous is that?”

“Mmhmm,” Derek hums, turning a page in his book.

“And she wasn’t back on Friday either. So, what? She’s gone now? Forever?” Cora glares at the wall in front of her, positioning her lower body more comfortably as it lay across her brother’s lap.

“The nerve,” Derek mumbles.

“And then- and then I saw her in class today and she completely ignored me. No snarky comment, no dirty looks, nothing! It’s like she’s completely indifferent to me. Where does she get off?”

“She’s a monster.”                                                                                 

“Der- _ek_!” Cora whines, kicking him in the stomach and getting a pinch on the ankle in return. “Are you even listening to me?”

“Do I really need to?” Derek puts his book down with a sigh. “You’ve been saying the same things all weekend. It’s just Lydia-this and Lydia-that and ‘oh why did she leave me, I treated her so right, wah wah wah.’”

Cora gapes at him. “Are you kidding me? I hate her. I hate her so much. I would never think of her the way you’re trying to insinuate I do.”

Derek rolls his eyes and raises an eyebrow. “Uh huh. And that’s why you’ve been obsessed with her for as long as you’ve known her.” Cora kicks him again, not knowing how to respond to his ridiculous accusations. He cocks his head and continues, “You know, I actually think I remember you talking about her before she even asked for the job.” He flutters his eyes. “Derek, have you seen that infuriatingly pretty redhead with the full lips who always asks for extra whip? Can you believe it? Do you think she’s single?”

Cora jumps up, making sure to cause Derek as much pain as possible on the way. “This is complete and utter crap and I don’t need to listen to it. Lydia Martin is the bane of my existence and you know what? I’m glad she’s gone.”

“Yeah sure, and I have good taste in women,” Derek calls out to her, laughing to himself, and Cora flips him off.

Weird self-deprecating jackass.

***

The next week is terrible. Cora spends all week running all over the place, working her ass off. Derek refuses to give up his knitting class (telling her smugly that if she got her own hobby she might be able to get over her ‘almost lover’ quicker) so it’s even more hectic every other day.

“Just hire another barista,” Erica tells her boredly, sitting at the counter and not helping at all. Cora pauses in trying to figure out the cappuccino machine to glare at her.

“I don’t have time to train some college idiot who thinks this is just an easy way to get an extra buck. Lydia was the only one who took this seriously.” Maybe too seriously at some times, she recalls with a wince, remembering all the times Lydia would sass idiotic customers.

“Yes, I know, Lydia was perfect in every way. You’re gonna have to get over her and move on, though. There’s so many other baristas in the sea,” Erica tilts her head and gives her a shit-eating grin.  

Cora ramps up the intensity of her glare. “Why does everyone seem to think that I have feelings for her? I mean, I do, but they are only of the negative sort.”

“Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that, sweetie. Why don’t you just go and apologize to her? You have her address, right?”

“Apologize? Me? To her? She needs to apologize! She is the one in the wrong!” Cora finally gives up on the stupid machine and aggressively places an ‘out of order’ sign on it.

“Uh huh, and what did she do wrong?” Erica takes a dramatic sip of her drink, making the most condescending face known to man.

“She insulted me in my workplace! That I own! She was insensitive about this place and my situation and she blamed me for our arguments.” Cora snatches her drink from her, taking a sip and trying not to flinch at how bitter she had made it. Bless Erica’s heart for drinking it anyway.

“So… Basically, she didn’t feel bad for you and she refused to put up with your shit? This sounds a lot like something little that you blew out of proportion just so you could get more attention from her. Especially if she just thought she was helping you and Derek and was maybe trying to be kind to you guys.”

“She wasn’t! She just wanted to rub it in our faces and make my life a living hell. Lydia Martin has never done a kind thing in her life.”

“That’s not the story she told me and Stiles Stilinski in biology today…” Erica trails off, biting her lip.

Cora refuses to feed into her. She won’t do it. She won’t-

“What is that supposed to mean?” Damn it.

“Well, she was talking about how her mean- but definitely attractive- employer didn’t appreciate anything she tried to do for her. And how she was so oblivious and how Lydia thought maybe they were going somewhere, considering all the time they talked and texted and all those sexually charged looks…”

Cora narrows her eyes. “You’re bluffing.”

“Okay, so maybe I improvised a little bit towards the end, but it was all there in her pining gaze.” Erica shrugs, putting her coat on.

“I don’t believe you. Lydia would never say something so emotional.”

“I don’t know, Stilinski seemed to be pretty into it. I’m sure he’d be willing to extend a shoulder to cry on too… See you, Cora. I hope you come to your senses before someone else does.” Erica waves jauntily before ducking out.

Stiles Stilinski. Cora hates that kid. He’s always hanging around here when Lydia is on duty, trying to talk to her or just staring at her with his wide, hero-worshipping eyes. He made Cora so annoyed, so frustrated, so-

Jealous. He made Cora jealous. Shit.

***

Lydia is right across from her, sitting on a bench with her friend Allison. Her legs are crossed, her lips are pursed, and her hair is perfectly curled. The amount Cora missed her hits her like a bullet train.

Does she still hate Lydia Martin? Yes. Definitely. Probably. But she also might kind of love her.

Cora takes a deep breath and a step forward. Then a step back. This is bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit. She should not be apologizing. But she knows it’s the only way she’ll get Lydia back, so.

Fuck this. Okay. Cora straightens her back and walks with purpose up to Lydia, who doesn’t look up from where she’s examining her nails. Allison bites her lip nervously.

“Lydia,” Cora says loudly, staring straight at her. Lydia still doesn’t look up. “Hey, princess.”

“I told you to stop calling me that,” Lydia snaps, finally turning her glare on Cora. They both glower silently at each other for about thirty seconds before Allison clears her throat.

“Okay, I’m gonna go meet up with Scott. Have fun with whatever this is and please don’t kill each other.” She quickly walks away without looking back.

“Great, thanks for that. You here to fuck up the other aspects of my life now?” Lydia gives her a poisonous grin and Cora rolls her eyes.

“Are you kidding me? Do you always have to be the victim?”

“I do when I was the one fired!”

“You literally put down your apron and stamped out! What is your definition of fired?”

“I was indirectly fired! Your actions caused me to quit!”

Cora throws her arms up as Lydia stands up and steps closer to her. “That’s definitely not a thing! You know what, I was here to apologize to you, even though _you_ were the insensitive asshole, but whatever. I’m done.” She goes to walk away, but Lydia grabs her arm.

“How was I insensitive? I told you I was trying to help you and you kept insisting that I was just a bitch who hated you.”

“Because you are!”

“No, I’m really not!”

They both stand there, only an inch apart, breathing angry air into each other’s faces. Their voices have risen and many people have stopped what they were doing to stare. Cora maintains eye contact, her jaw set, before speaking again in an icy tone.

“That coffee shop is all I have. When my house caught on fire, everyone and everything in it burnt to ashes. Nothing was left except that shop. So, yes, it is a shithole. And, yes, I know I should be trying to do more with my life. But, I can’t. I need to keep that place running, for myself and for my mom. I’m only in college because of Erica and Derek’s insistence. So, yeah, I know that that place and I are only a road stop in your life. But it _is_ my life. So, excuse me if I get a little defensive over it.”

Lydia’s reaction is a sight to behold. She blinks. Her face smooths out. Her eyes widen and her lips part. She takes a step back and swallows.

“I didn’t know. I mean, yeah I knew about your family, I’m not gonna work for someone without finding out all I can on them, but I didn’t know how much it meant to you. I just… Say things sometimes. With you. Which is pretty strange, because I never say anything unplanned with anyone else. But I don’t think when I’m arguing with you. So, maybe, it was a little my fault. I’m sorry.”

They both stare at each other again, but this time in a completely different way. Cora wants to burst out laughing. This is so different from their usual dynamic. Usually, they throw little snarky quips at each other and Cora rolls her eyes and Lydia purses her lips and all is right in the world. This is foreign to her.

“Well, um, I have a 2 PM class, so. I better go, I guess,” Cora mutters, turning on her heel. This was a dumb idea.

She hears Lydia let out a disbelieved breath behind her and is suddenly being turned back around. Her eyes widen at the fury in Lydia’s eyes. She thought they had come to a tentative truce.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Hale? After all that? I just apologized to you. I never apologize- because I’m usually never wrong. And all you have to say is that you ‘better go’? I am so tired of this.” Cora opens her mouth to question what the hell Lydia is talking about, before there are lips on hers.

They’re in the middle of the quad and people are still staring and Cora was never one for PDA and it’s perfect. It’s so fucking perfect.

Cora’s hand is in Lydia’s hair- she just knows she’s gonna get shit for messing it up late and she honestly can’t wait- and Lydia is biting her bottom lip. Cora has kissed her fair share of people but Lydia definitely takes first place. Maybe she’s a little biased. Whatever.

Lydia pulls away only the tiniest bit and pants into Cora’s mouth. Cora grins at her and can still feel their lips touching.

“Never knew you had it in you, princess,” she mumbles into her. Lydia rolls her eyes but she’s smiling like she’s never been happier.

“I thought I told you to stop calling me that.”

“Guess you’ll have to punish me,” Cora teases, leaning back in. Lydia pinches her wrist but is moaning quietly so Cora isn’t too worried.

Maybe there are different ways for all to be right in the world. This sure feels right.

 

**Author's Note:**

> written for the wonderful [punkhale](http://punkhale.tumblr.com/) for the teen wolf femslash exchange. i really hope you like it, i tried to include as many of your prompts as possible, but that may have resulted in me including none of them, so... oops. pls don't hate me.  
> [check out my tumblr if you're a true fan](http://bisexualkitsune.tumblr.com/)


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